Bring the best of yourself to work. Have you ever been faced with a decision in which you struggled to determine the best course of action for you? been considering a job offer (or two!) and been unable to tell if it would be the best fit? felt not quite satisfied at work knowing you have more to give but just can t describe it in ways that can help you make changes? done work you are good at only to be left feeling unfilled? If you said yes to one or more of these questions, then you have been wrestling with questions of identity. Clarify Your Identity This activity will help you clarify your identity through the creation of an identity statement a statement that captures who you are and the unique contribution you were born to make. Your identity statement will help you: Know the best course of action for you Identify which work and jobs are the best fit for you Bring the best of yourself to work in ways that are true to you Here s the KEY your unique contribution resides in the WHOLE of who you are. Often we get stuck between two aspects of ourselves and pursue one side at the expense of the other. For example, I have always felt stuck between my inner CEO ( left brain ) and my inner HIPPIE ( right brain). In fact, the idea for this activity came to me when I heard myself say for the 1 millionth time that I didn t know whether to follow my inner HIPPIE or my inner CEO. In a flash of insight I said, Hey, what about following the best of both? After all, my identity who I am at my core includes them both.
I ve always said I have an inner CEO and an inner HIPPIE. My magic? The science & art of personal evolution at work. Not only that, integrating my inner CEO and my inner HIPPIE allows me to work a kind of magic to do that thing that only I can do. What s that you say? You don t believe you have that kind of magic? Well, all your friends have that kind of magic so trust me, you do, too. For example, I count on my friend Marlaina to work her Marlaina magic when it comes to program design and I count on my friend Jim to work his Jim magic when it comes to untangling relationship messes. So, my magic translates into my identity statement, which is: I am dedicated to teaching the art and science of personal evolution at work. (art and science rolls off the tongue easier than science and art, don t you think?) Create Your Identity Statement Creating your identity statement consists of 4 easy (but insightful) steps: 1. Identify your right brain and left brain selves. 2. Identify the activities each self loves to do. 3. Combine activities to reveal your unique contribution. 4. Pick the combination of activities that resonates the most. One example follows and then worksheets are provided for your use. 2
Example Step 1. Identify your left brain and right brain selves This is where you identify the two opposite aspects of yourself that often pull you in very different directions. Here are some examples of left brain and right brain selves: police officer and rock star accountant and interior designer architect and rabbi Left brain self i.e. the more intellectual, rational, analytical, logical self My left brain self is a CEO. Right brain self i.e., the more emotive, creative, non-linear, intuitive self My right brain self is a Hippie. Step 2. Identify the activities each self loves to do. In this step, brainstorm a list of activities that each self loves to do. Just write down whatever comes to mind. The key is to make sure you only list activities you love to do -- activities that make time fly and leave you feeling energized and fulfilled. What does my CEO love to do? What does my hippie love to do? look for new possibilities keep an eye on the bigger picture create structure that helps people make sense of ideas and experiences connect the dots between ideas and action encourage people s growth make sense of data map things out, especially on whiteboards! explore different paths seek harmony encourage emotions do things my way anything related to personal growth be out in nature tap the spiritual yoga, retreats, meditation anything crafty make jewelry, crochet, bake 3
Step 3. Combine activities to reveal your unique contribution. Mix and match activities from your left brain and right brain selves. Remember it s the combination of these activities that is the source of your unique contribution. You don t have to include them all, just the ones that resonate with you. *Edit combinations as needed create structure that helps people make sense of ideas and experiences and explore different paths seek harmony by mapping things out (creates a shared vision) connect the dots between ideas and action to facilitate personal growth make sense of data and emotions help others look for new possibilities to things their way I had many more combinations some nonsensical in my actual worksheet. I invite you not to censor yourself too much at first. I mean, of course, I would say this but there is an art and a science to the process. Give your intuition, creativity, and playfulness (art) some room in this activity. You never know what will emerge. Plenty of time to edit and wordsmith (science) later. In my actual worksheet, I also had notes like something important about balancing head with body/intuition /non-thinking thinking. This allowed me to keep track of an important idea for me which is what happens through spiritual endeavors, being in nature, and making crafts (working with my hands). Step 4. Pick the combination that resonates the most. *Edit so it makes sense as an identity statement. Keep it simple. Keep it short 1 sentence. I started with: I am dedicated to helping people make the decisions needed to create a life of freedom. It captured my essence but it didn t exactly roll of the tongue. Through playing with ideas over time (and going through Identity Mapping ), I ended up with the statement I use today: I am dedicated to teaching the art and science of personal evolution at work. My inner hippie is captured in the ideas of art and personal evolution and my inner CEO is captured in the ideas of science and work. Make sure your identity statement captures the WHOLE of you are the best of your left brain and right brain talents. 4
Your turn Create your identity statement! Step 1. Identify your left brain and right brain selves This is where you identify the two opposite aspects of yourself that often pull you in very different directions. Here are some examples of left brain and right brain selves: police officer and rock star accountant and interior designer architect and rabbi CEO and hippie Left brain self i.e. the more intellectual, rational, analytical, logical self My left brain self is a. Right brain self i.e., the more emotive, creative, non-linear, intuitive self My right brain self is a. 5
Step 2. Identify the activities each self loves to do. In this step, brainstorm a list of activities that each self loves to do. Just write down whatever comes to mind. The key is to make sure you only list activities you love to do -- activities that make time fly and leave you feeling energized and fulfilled. What does my love to do? right brain self What does my love to do? left brain self 6
Step 3. Combine activities to reveal your unique contribution. *Edit combinations as needed Step 4. Pick the combination that resonates the most. *Edit so it makes sense as your identity statement. Keep it simple. Keep it short 1 sentence. I am to (dedicated, driven, called, committed) Make sure your identity statement captures the WHOLE of you are the best of your left brain and right brain talents. If it doesn t exactly roll off your tongue, just soak on it and live with it for a while. Your right brain will help you sort it out in a non-thinking kind of way. 7